About

Strategy. Messaging. Media. Content. Advocacy.

Principal

Andrew S. Ricci

Andrew S. Ricci is a communications, messaging, and media strategist who has supported political candidates, brands, organizations, companies, and individuals in telling their stories. He has led communications campaigns, served as a flack and spokesperson, defended reputations, and written content from media releases and talking points to speeches and op-eds. He has been an asset to his clients whether they are looking to get in the news or get out of it.

Andrew brings a background in government, campaigns, writing, and storytelling to every client and every client engagement. His deep background in public affairs, playbook of campaign strategies and tactics, and detailed knowledge of how government institutions work and intersect give him the ability to make an impact and enact change.

Andrew works hand in hand with clients to not only provide strategic counsel, but to design and implement campaigns that drive toward an established goal. He doesn't shy away from diving in and getting his hands dirty in pursuit of a client's objective -- he's a doer, not just a talker. His ability to stay cool under pressure and provide a buffer between antagonists and his clients has been valued by many who are under siege from outside entities.

A skilled writer and lover of all things linguistic, his ghost writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, U.S. News and World Report, and countless state, regional, and local publications. He has been quoted as a spokesman or subject matter expert in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Associated Press, ABC News, MarketWatch, CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Politico, Roll Call, and The Hill, and many others.

Before founding Riccon Strategic Communications, Andrew was a Vice President at LEVICK, one of the world's leading international strategic communications and public affairs firms. Andrew also served as a senior communications aide to U.S. Congressman Zack Space (D-Ohio), where he developed communications strategy and served as a spokesperson for Rep. Space’s Congressional office as well as his reelection campaign. He also worked for Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.).

Andrew has a B.A. in English from the University of Mount Union (formerly Mount Union College) and is a native of Beaver Falls, Pa.

Why Riccon?

When I was growing up in Western Pennsylvania, my dad had a home building business named -- you guessed it -- Riccon Development. As a child, I used to go to work with him, when a job was almost done, and he'd pay me to sweep sawdust off the floors, pick up trash, and do other age-appropriate odd jobs. I insisted that I get a paycheck for my work, and I loved looking forward to payday, going to the bank, marching up to the teller with a check in hand for my hard-earned day's wages (only about $4.50 or so), and walking out pridefully with cash that I knew I had earned.

When I decided to form my own consulting company, I spent a few days brainstorming words and phrases that I thought embodied my work or my character or my philosophy. Most of them were either too clichéd or too esoteric or both, and none of them really felt right. When, for some reason, Riccon popped into my head while I was running at the gym, it felt right and appropriate. Riccon Development was where I learned to work hard, get results, and earn a paycheck, and Riccon Strategic Communications is where I'll help clients today achieve their goals.

Client Philosophy

I understand and fully believe that the key to this business is personal relationships. I don't want to be just another vendor who provides a service -- one of many interchangeable characters in an ever-changing cast of consultants -- but rather as your true partner who fully understands the objective, who provides wise counsel and creative strategies to achieve it, and who is a reliable ally in whatever cause we are pursuing together.

I am invested in my clients' success. I know that trust is difficult to gain but easy to lose, and this has always been one of my core beliefs. My modus operandi has always been to earn that trust through hard work, responsiveness, honesty, candor, loyalty, reliability, humor, and putting forth my best effort 100 percent of the time. This goes for my professional relationships as well as my personal friendships.

When it comes to providing client service, I believe in being up front about my skills and capabilities -- highlighting my strengths and being real about my weaknesses. In other words, I don't pretend to know what I don't actually know. Fortunately, over more than a decade in the industry, I've built a network of really high quality partners who I work with regularly and who do just about everything I can't. And I never refer clients to someone I wouldn't use myself.

While I'm always happy to consider or work on a one-off project, I treat every client like we're in it for the long haul. If I do my job right, we will be.

Get in touch

How can I help? If you have a communications issue or are interested in working with me, please get in touch. I'm happy to talk through it with you and present some ideas for how I can be part of your solution.